An example of architecture of a document folding and inserting machine is illustrated in Applicants' French Patent Application FR 2 782 673.
This type of machine conventionally comprises at least two feed bins, one for receiving the documents to be folded and the other the envelopes in which these documents will be inserted, and a folding mechanism incorporating a plurality of folding receptacles each provided with a mobile folding guide. On the document travel path there is further arranged an accumulation device for the prior assembling into a bundle of a plurality of documents having to be placed in the same envelope. This accumulation device conventionally comprises an accumulation receptacle provided with a mobile accumulation guide and a roller and counter-roller drive assembly which ensures both the successive accumulation of the documents and their ejection in one go towards the folding mechanism.
Now, the inventors have observed that the function of accumulation requires a rathermore weak drive effort of the rollers in order not to deform the documents during transport thereof and when they are aligned against the mobile receptacle bottom guide, while the function of ejection of the bundle of accumulated documents requires, on the contrary, a rathermore strong drive effort in order to eject this bundle suitably towards the folding receptacles.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a document accumulation device which responds to these two contradictory objects, by optimalizing drive, alignment and ejection of the documents assembled in an accumulation receptacle.